Did you know that an average of 81 pounds of laundry per year? Clothing donation has a process. It is not simply heading over to the donation drive and dropping off your clothes— it is more than that.
The process starts when you decide to declutter your closet. It is essential to ensure that you are donating clothes in good condition. Yes, you’ve read that right. Not all clothes are good to donate. If you plan to donate, there are things you need to consider. Here are the best ways to organize clothing donation:
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First: Look for a charity organization.
It’s always best to check whether there are charity organizations that accept cloth donations. Some charity organizations have certain goods in demand that are specific to funds or causes. That’s why it is better to ask first or look for a suitable organization to ensure you are giving the right goods donation and you will not waste your time and effort.
Here are some of few organizations that accept clothing donations:
- Canadian Diabetes ASsociation
- Goodwill
- Oasis Clothing Bank
- Ontario Federation of Cerebral Palsy
- Salvation Army
- Value Army
You do not want to bring your clothes to an organization which you are not sure if it will be accepted, right? Always check ahead with the organization on what goods they need the most.
Second: Sort and inspect the clothes to donate.
Now that you have a charity organization and you have an idea what clothes they will accept, it is time to sort your clothes. There’s a quick rule of thumb for clothing donations– if the item is not in a good condition, it is not for clothing donation. But, if it is in a good condition, no holes, tears, or stains, it is perfect to donate.
After you have sorted your clothes, you need to inspect each one of them to ensure that the clothes do not have defects. You will know if the items are ideal for clothing donation with these questions:
- Is it collecting dust in your closet? It is best to donate clothes that you do not wear anymore.
- Is it too tight or too small for you? If you can’t wear it anymore, it is the right time to pass it down to someone else.
- Are you done with that era? If it is not your style anymore, get rid of it.
- Do you have fancy clothes that are not used anymore? Do not be afraid to donate suits or formal dress. Several organizations will accept those types of clothes for special programs.
It is only responsible to donate wearable and functional clothes to those who are in need. Some of the unacceptable situations for clothing donation are:
- Do not donate undergarments. There are no excuses about it. Undergarments are clothes that have to be bought new. It does not matter whether you will donate cute ones or branded ones, as long as it is underwear, it is unacceptable to donate a used one.
- If your clothes have a weird smell, then do not donate it.
- Does your favorite shirt have a hole in it? Do not donate it, instead you can repurpose or recycle them instead of throwing away. Only donate those that are in good condition.
- If the clothes have spots or stains on them, try to remove it before donating. You can ask help from dry cleaning services to remove the stain. If the stain will not budge, then you have to repurpose the clothes and repurpose it instead.
There are types of clothes you want to donate and some clothes you want to keep. As the donation pile becomes bigger, inspect and sort everything you want to donate. You should clear out old clothes to create more space while keeping your closet organized and tidy. Ensure that you did not include your favorite apparel as you might want to wear them again on special occasions.
Third: Wash and pack clothes before donation
Laundry is the most tedious task and it might be the last thing you want to do for clothes that you have to donate. If you have no time to do so, you can outsource your laundry to the nearby laundry services company. If there are stubborn stains on your clothes, you can ask for assistance from the experts.
According to Liox Laundry, the experts of dry cleaning services can help you with it. There are no stains impossible to remove for the laundry experts. You will not regret asking for assistance.
Make your clothing donations fresh and clean. After you have washed and dried your clothes, fold and pack them neatly inside the donation container.
Fourth: Take note of the clothes you are about to donate.
After you have selected the clothes you want to donate and have them dry cleaned, you can create a list of the clothes you will be donating. If you have a list or pictures of the clothes you will donate, it will prevent you from searching every corner of your house to search for an item you have given away.
Last Step: Deliver your clothing donation.
Finally, all the clothes to donate are packed and ready to deliver. As soon as you have organized with the organization, you can deliver the clothes to their location. Do not leave the donation boxes sitting in the closet or garage for a couple of months. Make it simple, you can do it in two options:
- Drop off the clothing donation to the local charity organization. It is best to meet the receivers of your donation.
- Outsource services. You can look for a company’s services that will pick up your clothing donations.
Those are the best ways to organize clothing donations. You can make the room easily inside the closet by donating or repurposing the clothes that you no longer wear. Clothing donation is not all about decluttering and giving clothes, but you are also reducing the amount of clothing waste.